Love Don't Run
by kml8990
Summary: Senior year was supposed to be the most exciting time of your life. It's all about the preparation to graduate and the excitement of the prospect of getting out of small town Ohio. However, Blaine's not so lucky.


**Title**: Love Don't Run  
><strong>Author<strong>: kml8990  
><strong>FandomPairing**: Glee, Kurt/Blaine  
><strong>Rating<strong>: T  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 4,151  
><strong>Disclosures<strong>: Takes place after Season 3, though I think the only possible spoilers would be for Season 3, episode 1. Unbeta'd  
><strong>Summary: <strong>Blaine's senior year isn't going so great  
><strong>Author's notes<strong>: I've never written Kurt/Blaine before. This is actually my attempt to get over writers block so I can work on my Puckurt story that is ongoing. This was inspired by the song of the same title by Steve Holy. I hope I did everything right. If not, be easy on me. I'm a newbie.

"_Love don't run_

_Love don't hide_

_It won't turn away or back down from a fight_

_Baby I'm right here_

_And I'm not going anywhere_

_Love's too tough, it won't give up, no not on us_

_Baby love don't run"_

Blaine sighed as the final bell of the day rang out loud and clear throughout the school. One more day down, which means one less day missing Kurt.

Senior year was supposed to be the most exciting time of your life. It's all about the preparation to graduate and the excitement of the prospect of getting out of small town Ohio. And yeah, Blaine was looking forward to both of those things, especially the latter, because it meant seeing Kurt every single day…it meant _living_ with Kurt, in New York of all places…it meant happiness, which was something Blaine was lacking as of late.

He knew the moment he kissed Kurt for the first time, that if they lasted, he would be spending his senior year in Ohio while Kurt was off starting college someplace else, but he hadn't been dwelling on it. He had pushed it to the back of his mind, instead focusing on the time he did have with Kurt. When he had transferred to McKinley the previous year, he had only been thinking about the amount of time he would get to spend with Kurt. It had never even occurred to him that he would have to spend an entire year in a public school, completely alone. While he didn't regret spending last year with Kurt at McKinley, he still would've thought about the transfer a little harder if he had been thinking ahead.

He had to admit, he wasn't completely alone. He had Artie and Tina, and they were good friends. The rest of his friends had graduated with Kurt and gone off to college. Karofsky was gone as well, but that didn't mean the bullying had gotten to be less.

In fact, if he was being truthful, it had actually gotten worse. Karofsky wasn't the only homophobe in the school, and without the looming threat of the entire glee club coming down on them, more and more were coming out of the woodwork every day. Oh, glee club was still going strong, though it was now filled with scrawny freshman and the occasional sophomore beside the three remaining members from the previous year. And while the glee club accepted Blaine, they wouldn't stand a chance if they tried to stand up _for_ him.

Blaine waited until the last of his classmates exited the room before standing up and grabbing his things. He wasn't three steps out of the classroom when a leg was stuck out in front of him sending him face first into the tile floor, his books and papers flying in multiple directions.

"Watch where you're going, Homo!" was thrown at him as he slid up to his knees and began to gather his belongings. No one around him bothered to help.

***GLEE***

Blaine, rather ungracefully, flung himself onto his bed the moment he stepped into his room, his backpack long forgotten in the doorway. This time last year found Blaine either cuddled up on the Hudmel couch after school, or cuddled up with Kurt on his queen sized bed. Either way, he would have been with his boyfriend. This year, however, found Blaine home alone every day after school, his parents always away on business. Blaine was feeling decidedly alone. Only two months into the new school year and he was already counting the days to the end of the year.

He blindly reached his hand underneath his pillow where a bundled up shirt lay hidden. Pulling the item of clothing from its hiding place, Blaine hugged it to his chest tightly before bringing it up to his face and burying his nose into it. It was an old shirt of his, nothing special about it except for the fact that Kurt had slept in it, beside him, buried under Blaine's covers after an amazing round of sex the night before he left for New York. The shirt still smelled like his boyfriend, though the scent was getting fainter each and every day. He wasn't sure what he was going to do when the scent was completely gone – cry probably.

His phone started vibrating insistently against his thigh from its place in his pocket. He fumbled, shifting to lay on his side so he could reach down and pull it out. He accepted the call without looking at who it was, before reluctantly pulling his face from the Kurt scented fabric.

"Hello" he sighed into the phone as he flipped himself onto his back.

"_Bad day, Baby_?" a familiar voice asked from the other end of the line, bringing a smile to his face.

"No." Blaine immediately lied. He didn't wasn't Kurt to know about the bullying since there was nothing he could do anyway. "Just long."

"_I'm sorry._" Kurt cooed into the phone. "_I never realized how tough having seven classes a day was until I got to college and only had two."_

"Yeah, it's tiring." Blaine agreed. "But I've made it through three years. What's one more?" he asked, trying to keep his voice light and mask the yearning showing through.

"_I miss you_" Kurt sighed into the phone

Blaine had to swallow hard before responding. "I miss you too, Kurt."

"_What are you doing?_" his boyfriend cheerily asked into the phone.

"Avoiding homework." Blaine answered and focused on listening intently to Kurt's tales about living in New York.

An hour and a half later found Blaine sadly saying his good bye to his boyfriend before getting out of his bed and pulling his slushie soiled clothes from the morning out of his bag, bringing them downstairs to wash before starting dinner and eventually homework.

When Blaine fell asleep that night, his arms wrapped around his Kurt scented t-shirt, he dreamed of New York and the life he would have with his boyfriend if he just made it through the year.

***GLEE***

Two weeks passed by slowly and Blaine found that the only thing getting him through the day was the phone call from Kurt he received every evening. Just the sound of his boyfriend's voice could lift his darkest of moods, though he wished he could feel Kurt's arms around him while they spoke.

The bullying wasn't getting any better. Blaine's body was littered with bruises from locker slams and being tripped in the halls. It seemed like the more the faculty ignore the brutality, the more people bullied. Artie and Tina had both witnessed Blaine being rammed into lockers by towering athletes, but after a little convincing, they promised not to tell Kurt.

Kurt. Sweet, adorable Kurt. Blaine loved him dearly and respected him more now than ever. As a freshman, Blaine had been in a public school. He had been popular and well liked until he had come out, and it only took one beating to send him running to the safety that only a private school could offer. Kurt…Kurt had suffered through this kind of abuse for three and a half years. He was strong. Brave. If Kurt could handle it for thee and a half years – two without Blaine- than he could handle it for one.

Blaine flopped face first onto his bed as soon as he got home, not daring to lay on his bruised covered back. He really just wanted to curl up and cry for a little while, but he didn't. Crying wouldn't solve anything.

The silence of the house settled over him, suffocatingly heavy. Last year his life had been anything but silence. Determined to snuff out the offending sound, Blaine pushed himself off of his bed to gather his school bag and laptop before settling back down, propping pillows behind him as he lent carefully against the wooden headboard of his bed. He was halfway through his calculus math set, Katy Perry bellowing from the speakers of his computer, when a skype alert popped up on his screen alerting him to Kurt was online and calling him via video chat. Blaine pasted a, hopefully, believable smile on his face before accepting the call.

"_Hey, Baby._" Kurt's smiling face suddenly filled his computer screen after he silenced Katy Perry. The relatively fake smile evaporated into a genuine one as soon as he saw his boyfriend.

"Hi." Blaine breathed out, shifting his calculus book off of his lap to pull the computer closer.

Kurt's eyes studied him closely through the screen. "_You okay?_" he asked gently. "_You look tired._"

"I am, I guess." Blaine responded with a casual shrug. "It's been a busy week, exams and what not. Plus Tina, Artie and I are trying to reign in the freshmen. That's a tiring job in and of itself."

"Kurt chuckled and shook his head. "_I couldn't even imagine. At least when we started glee club, all of us were new to it._"

"How are you?" Blaine asked, successfully steering the conversation away from himself.

"_Busy as well._" Kurt hummed. "_When I declared my major as musical theater, I hadn't really planned on having to take science and math….but I guess it's a requirement for everyone. Speaking of being busy…that's why I called you." _Kurt's voice got softer as his smile faltered.

"What is it?" Blaine pressed on, tensing up and wincing slightly as his sore muscles ached.

"_I know we were planning on me coming home for Thanksgiving, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen."_

"Oh." Blaine sighed out, doing his best not to show his disappointment.

"_I know it sucks._" Kurt continued. "_It's just that, finals are the week after Thanksgiving and I have so much to do before that, and once finals are over I'll be back home for six weeks. It's only one week longer, Baby."_

"It's okay, Kurt." Blaine attempted to soothe his boyfriend.

"_Since I can't come home, my Dad, Carole and Finn are going to come here. We're going to have dinner in mine and Rachel's apartment with her dads. It'll be a tight squeeze, but it'll work."_ Kurt rambled on, excitement filling his voice. "_So what is your family doing for the holiday?" _

"Umm…just the usual dinner." Blaine lied, not willing to make Kurt feel guilty by learning that Blaine's parents would not be in town for the holiday and that Kurt had been the entirety of his plans.

_"That sounds nice."_ Kurt commented warmly. "_Well Baby, I have to go. I just wanted to check in and tell you the change of plans." _

"Alright."

"_I'll see you in two and a half weeks, Baby. I love you!" _Kurt beamed through the screen.

"I love you, too." Blaine returned the sentiment before logging off of skype.

Blaine sighed and pushed everything to the side of his bed so he could stretch out. He was sad and disappointed and kind of hurt all at the same time. He had been looking forward to seeing Kurt on Thursday for Thanksgiving. It had actually been the only thing he had been looking forward to recently, and it was snatched out from underneath him. It was getting harder and harder to find reasons to get up in the morning.

***GLEE***

Thanksgiving passed painfully slow in an empty and quiet house. His cell phone occasionally buzzed with phone calls and messages from Kurt – each went unanswered. He didn't have the energy to pretend to be happy, and he wasn't going to spoil Kurt's own happiness by being a whiney and sullen boyfriend.

Blaine didn't return to school after Thanksgiving. He wasn't sleeping, was barely eating and only left his bed to use the bathroom. The house phone rang but was left unanswered, the attendance secretary at McKinley leaving messages addressed to his parents and questioning the reason behind his absences. His cell phone was left unanswered as well, his voice mail and inbox filled with concerned inquiries by Mr. Shue, Kurt, Artie, Tina and even a couple from Burt and Carole.

_Baby, you feeling alright? Artie and Tina say you haven't been at school? - K_

_You okay man? –Artie_

_Do you want me to bring your homework over? - Tina_

_Baby, are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong? -K_

_Blaine, baby, you're scaring me. –K_

_Kid, you're beginning to worry Carole and I. Kurt says you're not returning his calls. Everything alright? – Burt_

Each message was more concern filled than the last, but each was still left unanswered. Blaine just didn't have the energy to try to make every one believe that he was actually fine. He missed that entire week of school. His body was weak and tired. He wouldn't have been able to stumble down the stairs and answer the knock that sounded from the front door on Friday even if he had wanted to. His skin was unnaturally pale, making the bruises that marred his back and shoulders stand out greatly.

He didn't go back to school the following Monday either. His phone was ringing five times an hour, but his voice mail was too full to take messages, Eventually he reached out blindly towards the nightstand and held the power button down until the phone shut off with a soft _beep_.

He felt empty. There was nothing waiting for him outside his bedroom other than ruthless bullies and hate. Kurt was miles away in New York, and as much as he loved Burt and Carole, it didn't feel right to stop by their house when Kurt wasn't there. He knew that missing school wouldn't get him to Kurt any faster. If anything, it might make it take longer if he fails his classes, but he can't go back.

Just the thought of the slurs, shoves and humiliation that waited for him in the halls of McKinley was enough to propel him into the bathroom where he emptied the crackers and water he had forced himself to swallow, into to toilet. His hand was unsteady as he reached up to wipe at his mouth. He slumped back against the bathtub behind him, pulling his knees to his chest and resting his forehead against them.

***GLEE***

Kurt frowned at the darkened house before him as he pulled into Blaine's driveway. He had just flown in from New York, excited to spend his six week break from school with his family and loving boyfriend. However, said boyfriend seemed to have disappeared off of the face of the planet. At first, Kurt hadn't thought much of Blaine not calling him back. It was his senior year and it was Thanksgiving, he was bound to be busy. But then Tina had sent him a message on facebook wondering if he knew why Blaine hadn't been at school recently. That's when he really began to worry. As more calls were left unreturned and texts left unreplyed, Kurt's worry only grew. His worry grew so much that he found himself calling his parents and asking them to check on his boyfriend. When Carole had called him back and explained that no one had answered the door at Blaine's house, Kurt found himself wishing finals would pass quicker so he could fly home sooner.

That's how Kurt found himself standing on Blaine's doorstep, frowning deeply as he rang the bell. There were no hurried footsteps inside, no call of "coming" as there usually was. He eyed Blaine's car parked haphazardly in the driveway, covered in a dusting of snow that told Kurt it hadn't been driven recently. When the door was not answered, Kurt lifted the ceramic cat from beside the door to retrieve the spare key he knew to be underneath. Unlocking the door, Kurt let himself inside the eerily quiet house.

"Blaine?" he called out uncertainly, his voice echoing through the home.

Making his way to the stairs, Kurt ascended them quickly, heading towards Blaine's room. The bed was in disarray but nothing else seemed touched and it was lacking the presence of one Blaine Anderson.

The in suite bathroom door was half open and Kurt cautiously made his way over to it. He pushed the door all the way open and sucked in a breath of shock at the sight before him. Blaine sat hunched over on the bathroom floor, his face tucked down so Kurt couldn't see it. Blaine looked so broken and fragile and Kurt could clearly make out a slew of dark bruises covering his boyfriend's skin.

"Blaine? Baby?" Kurt called out, his voice soft and shaky.

Blaine's head snapped up in shock, his eyes widening when he saw his boyfriend. "K-Kurt?" his voice was a barely audible whisper, but it had Kurt crossing the room in two strides and dropping to his knees beside his boyfriend.

"Oh Blaine, baby." Kurt breathed out, taking note of the younger boy's pale skin and dark circles beneath his eyes. In one fluid motion, Kurt was pulling his boyfriend towards him and hugging him tightly to his chest.

Blaine latched onto his boyfriend, hands coming up to clutch in Kurt's designer t-shirt in a way that would surely cause wrinkles, but for once, Kurt didn't give a damn. Blaine let out a harsh sob as he buried his face into the nook between Kurt's neck and shoulder and allowed his boyfriend to pull him onto his lap. Kurt held the younger boy as close as possible, rocking gently as he whispered comforting words into Blaine's ear in an attempt to soothe the curly headed boy. Kurt had one hand rubbing up and down Blaine's tense back while the other was stroking through the younger boy's messy and slightly matted curls.

Kurt wasn't sure just how long he sat on the tiled bathroom floor with the boy he loved dearly held in his lap, but eventually Blaine's harsh sobs digressed into soft hiccups and his tears stopped falling so quickly. Kurt held back tears of his own as he stopped his rocking motion but continued to hold his boyfriend as tightly as he dared with all the bruises.

"Blaine, baby," Kurt whispered into the younger boy's ear, placing a kiss on Blaine's cheek, his temple, the shell of his ear – anywhere he could reach. "Can you stand up?"

After a moment of hesitation, Kurt felt Blaine nod against his shoulder. He loosened his grip on his boyfriend and slid Blaine off of his lap and onto the floor beside him. Getting his feet underneath him, Kurt stood before immediately reaching for the other boy, whose head was bowed as he stared at the floor. Blaine immediately burrowed back into Kurt's side the moment he was standing and allowed his boyfriend to lead him from the bathroom and into the bedroom.

Once Kurt had seated Blaine on the bed, the younger boy rolled onto his side, snatching up the discarded t-shirt he had spent many hours hugging to his chest. He felt the bed dip behind him, and he realized that he didn't need the stupid t-shirt anymore. Kurt was _here_. Turning over lightening fast, Blaine burrowed his face into Kurt's hip as his arms wrapped around his boyfriend's narrow waist.

Kurt dropped a hand down to rub at Blaine's back, directly between his shoulder blades, careful to avoid placing pressure are the dark purple bruises. They sat in silence for a few moments before Kurt finally broke it.

"Blaine, what happened?" Kurt questioned as his fingertip traced along one of the larger and more prominent bruises marring Blaine's back. Blaine shook his head, pressing even closer into Kurt's side. "Baby, I can't help if you don't let me in." Kurt pressed on "Who did this to you?"

Blaine titled his head slightly, so his voice wasn't muffled by Kurt's shirt. "I hate this, Kurt." Blaine's voice was rough and raw as he fought back tears once again.

"You hate what, baby?" Kurt asked, carding his fingers through his boyfriend's hair.

"Life."

Blaine's one word answer had Kurt's eyes filling with tears and his heart hammering in his chest. "Blaine-"

"I don't want to get out of bed anymore. I don't want to go to school. I'm tired, Kurt. So tired." Blaine sighed as he tightened his arms around Kurt's waist.

"Blaine, look at me." Kurt pleaded, prodding his boyfriend gently until his gaze was met by sad hazel eyes. Eyes that had once held a bright sparkle, now the saddest pools of color Kurt had ever seen. "_I love you_. I don't know what happened, but I love you so much and I never want to lose you. What ever happened – whatever's wrong - we'll get through it together."

"You can't help me, Kurt." Blaine said sadly, trying to turn away from the older boy, but Kurt wouldn't let him.

"Why not?" Kurt pressed, searching Blaine's gaze for the answers the younger boy wasn't verbalizing.

"Because you're not here. You're gone. You're in New York. But I'm glad you're not here. It's better in New York. You're _safe."_

"Blaine, who did this?" Kurt questioned again. His voice tight and his chest constricted.

"High school homophobes didn't end with Karofsky."

"Oh, Blaine." Kurt murmured as he once again gathered his boyfriend into his arms and held him tight. "It's okay. It's going to be okay." He soothed and tears started to leak from Blaine's eyes.

"No it's not!" Blaine all but shouted, pulling away from Kurt violently and rolling onto his other side, his back to the boy he loved. "It's not going to be okay because you're going to have to leave again. And then you'll be gone and I'll be alone."

"No." Kurt stated, sliding in behind Blaine and spooning him, his arm coming around his boyfriend's waist. "You're never alone. I'm always here for you. I may not always physically be here, but I'm always here for you. I'm just a phone call away Blaine, but I can't help you unless you tell me what's going on. It kills me to see you like this. I love you."

"I love you too." Blaine muttered before turning around in Kurt's grasp and tucking his head under the older boy's chin. "I'm a mess." Blaine mumbled into Kurt's chest.

"But you're my mess." Kurt said affectionately, placing a kiss into Blaine's curls. "And no matter how bad things get, I'm not going anywhere."

Blaine felt Kurt shift against him, and he let his eyes flutter open to find his own cell phone in Kurt's grasp. "What are you doing?"

"I'm calling your parents."

"They're away on business." Blaine protested, reaching weakly for his phone.

"I know. I'm just going to ask them what hotel they're staying at. Then we're going fax them all the needed paperwork to get you transferred back over to Dalton."

"Dalton's safe. It's not like the real world."

"Yes, but you shouldn't have to face this so called real world on your own. Right now, you're going to go somewhere safe, and next year….next year when you're with me in New York, then you can face the real world. _We_ can face the real world, _together_." Kurt solidified his statement by pressing a kiss to Blaine's forehead.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I love you and I'm not just deserting you. I'm not giving up on you, because that would mean I'm giving up on us and our love is too strong for that. We're going to get through this together. You've got me for the next six weeks, so you better get used to it."

Blaine blinked back tears at Kurt's heartfelt words. The idea of going back to Dalton made his heart not as heavy and loosened the lump in his throat. Kurt was here. With him. And he was going to make everything okay again.

"C'mon, get up." Kurt encouraged, shaking Blaine's shoulder lightly and making the younger boy look up at him in confusion. "You're going to shower and get dressed, and then we're going to go to my house and let Carole look at those bruises. If she says you have to go, then we're taking you to the hospital. Then we'll go back to my house and cuddle and have a Disney movie marathon while I force you to eat something before we start working on making up your homework tomorrow." He stated as he stood and gently pulled Blaine to his feet.

Blaine closed the gap between them, attaching his lips to Kurt's in what had to be the sweetest and most innocent kiss they had ever shared. Resting his forehead against Kurt's, Blaine took in a deep breath. "Thank you." He breathed, his breath ghosting across Kurt's face. "Thank you for loving me even though I'm a mess."

"I'm not going anywhere, Baby." Kurt responded before pressing another kiss against his love's lips.

***GLEE***

**_So, yeah. I hope that was alright. Feedback is always welcome if you would like to give it. ~Katy_  
><strong>


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